[Resolved] Are includes bad?

SwissMac

Someone told me I shouldn't use more than about two includes in a php page for reasons that were not clear to me - either for safety for better performance I think he said. Are there any known issues that you are aware of? I'm a real newbie...

TIA

Mac

yelvington

Theory: Finding and opening files creates overhead that can be avoided by putting everything in one file.

Reality: It doesn't make any difference on most sites.

Advice: Worry about organization, legibility, readability and maintainability. Don't worry about performance at your stage of development. There is a saying: Premature optimization is the root of all evil.

Frederick

include() is a very good tool for making a site easy for modifications when you are using comparisons.

if ($val1 == $page1) {
include("page1.php");
} else
if ($val1 == $page2) {
include("page2.php");
}

Xeon

Are you crazy? I use includes religiously! Anyway, no, they are not harmful, and no combining them all into one file will not make any difference (on most sites, at least).

mystrymaster

the pro's far outweighs the con's

Pro - easier debugging and better organization

Cons - Slight decrease in speed

SwissMac

Many thanks for all your answers - it has put my mind at rest. You know how all these rumours start in pubs - and that's if you understood the idea in the first place!

Cheers all!

Mac